Another Brilliant Champaign-Urbana Death

My buddy Mike, who lives in Milwaukee and is a devout Wilco follower, told me on the phone today about the death of former Wilco multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett. The Sun-Times and other newspapers report that the cause of death is unknown. Mike and I once watched I am Trying to Break Your Heart, which is a documentary about Wilco’s making of their fourth album: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The documentary also examines Bennett’s tumultuous relationship with the other Wilco band members, especially lead singer Jeff Tweedy. Wilco pressured Bennett out of the band. In cold February, Mike and I attended, alongside two beautiful gals, Tweedy’s solo concert at Foellinger Auditorium. I wonder whether Bennett attended that show.

On April 24, 2009, Bennett posted on his MySpace page an honest, sad, and warm explanation of his whereabouts and his need for hip replacement surgery. In early May, Bennett sued Tweedy for $50,000 in unpaid royalties he felt were owed to him for his role in the documentary I am Trying to Break Your Heart. He may have been desperate for money, as he explains in his MySpace post that he feared his lack of health insurance would prevent him from being able to pay for the hip replacement surgery.

Bennett is the most recent death among notable artists who have strong childhood or educational ties to Champaign-Urbana. David Foster Wallace, who has been discussed multiple times on this blog, hung himself in September 2008. I remember many years ago being in a Walden Books store with my Grandfather Bill Mills when he insisted that I should read a book called, The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang. It was a bestselling book in 1997. She grew up in Champaign-Urbana and studied journalism at the University. She seems to have been overwhelmed by bloody horrors of the subjects she wrote about. She shot herself in 2004. I’m sure there are others unknown to me.

There is something weird about Champaign-Urbana, something eerie and mystical. I don’t know what it is. I cannot describe it beyond claiming that it exists. I see it snaking by in the thick night while standing outside of Cafe Kopi talking to Jen, the old Zen poet. I can only say that I believe this shadow causes brilliant people from Champaign-Urbana to leave before they have shared the panoply of their ideas and wonder . . . But, I probably exaggerate.

A local blogger gave an excellent account of his friendship and collaboration with Bennett, “Jay was a genius and quite likely the greatest guitarist of our generation.”

Sleep well, Jay. I hope God cheerfully replaces your broken hip with one of your many instruments. Perhaps the concave corner of an acoustic guitar. I recognize that as a bizarre thought, but it is fitting in my mind.

Goofy Days of Youth and Without Fame. Jay Bennett (Left), Gaper's Blog Author (Center) and Jeff Tweedy (Right). Photo Courtesy of Gaper's Blog: http://gapersblog.typepad.com/photos/2005_holidays/jaykenjeff0002.html